Stephen BEckerman
Penn State University, Anthropology, Faculty Member
- Anthropologist specializing in human evolutionary ecology, especially areas of subsistence, reproduction, and violence.edit
Abstract. Constituitive diversity is a phenomenon commonly observed inindigenous populations. The term refers to the heterogeneous composition of a sociocultural group that, when seen from the outside, appears to present a uniform... more
Abstract. Constituitive diversity is a phenomenon commonly observed inindigenous populations. The term refers to the heterogeneous composition of a sociocultural group that, when seen from the outside, appears to present a uniform culture;but which, on closer examination, reveals a continuing internal differentiation based onintra-cultural variation that arose historically from importation rather than autochthonous invention. We here explore various sources of internal differentiation among theBarí, all based in the differing historical experiences of the ancestors of current membersof this society Diversidad Cultural Constitutiva y los Barí Resumen. La diversidad constitutiva es un fenómeno frecuentemente observadoentre poblaciones indígenas. Se refiere a la composición heterogénea de un grupo sociocultural, que, cuando se le examina desde afuera, parece tener una cultura uniforme;pero que, examinado con más atención...
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The root of modern human warfare lies in the lethal coalitionary violence of males in small-scale societies. However, little quantitative data exist concerning the form and function of coalitionary violence in this setting. Debates exist... more
The root of modern human warfare lies in the lethal coalitionary violence of males in small-scale societies. However, little quantitative data exist concerning the form and function of coalitionary violence in this setting. Debates exist over how lethal coalitions are constituted, as well as the motivations and benefits for males to join such groups. Data from a lowland Amazonian population, the Waorani of Ecuador, illuminate three issues: (i) the degree to which raiding parties are composed of groups of fraternal kin as opposed to strategic alliances of actual or potential affinal kin, (ii) the extent to which individuals use pre-existing affinal ties to motivate others to participate in war or leverage warfare as a mechanism to create such ties and (iii) the extent to which participation in raiding is driven by rewards associated with future marriage opportunities. Analyses demonstrate that Waorani raiding parties were composed of a mix of males who were potential affines, actual ...
Desde hace un siglo, un gran número de estudios sobre el comportamiento de la sexualidad humana y su evolución han enfocado la importancia de la determinación de la paternidad, y el esfuerzo que hacen los padres para asegurar la... more
Desde hace un siglo, un gran número de estudios sobre el comportamiento de la sexualidad humana y su evolución han enfocado la importancia de la determinación de la paternidad, y el esfuerzo que hacen los padres para asegurar la paternidad de todos los niños que están criando (por ejemplo, Engels 1942, Alexander y Noonan 1979). En este contexto, es particularmente curiosa e importante la observación etnográfica que un gran número de sociedades se esfuerzan en complicar la definición de la pat..
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ABSTRACTHuman adaptation depends upon the integration of slow life history, complex production skills, and extensive sociality. Refining and testing models of the evolution of human life history and cultural learning will benefit from... more
ABSTRACTHuman adaptation depends upon the integration of slow life history, complex production skills, and extensive sociality. Refining and testing models of the evolution of human life history and cultural learning will benefit from increasingly accurate measurement of knowledge, skills, and rates of production with age. We pursue this goal by inferring individual hunters’ of hunting skill gain and loss from approximately 23,000 hunting records generated by more than 1,800 individuals at 40 locations. The model provides an improved picture of ages of peak productivity as well as variation within and among ages. The data reveal an average age of peak productivity between 30 and 35 years of age, though high skill is maintained throughout much of adulthood. In addition, there is substantial variation both among individuals and sites. Within study sites, variation among individuals depends more upon heterogeneity in rates of decline than in rates of increase. This analysis sharpens qu...
Research Interests: Geography, Science, Life history, Biology, Productivity, and 5 moreEvolution, Food Security, Foraging, Sociality, and Hunting
Traditional treatments of marriage among indigenous people focus on what people say about whom one should marry and on rules that anthropologists induce from those statements. This volume is a cultural and social anthropological... more
Traditional treatments of marriage among indigenous people focus on what people say about whom one should marry and on rules that anthropologists induce from those statements. This volume is a cultural and social anthropological examination of the ways the indigenous peoples of lowland South America/Amazonia actually choose whom they marry. Detailed ethnography shows that they select spouses to meet their economic and political goals, their emotional desires, and their social aspirations, as well as to honor their commitments to exogamic prescriptions and the exchange of women. These decisions often require playing fast and loose with what the anthropologist and the peoples themselves declare to be the regulations they obey. Inevitably then, this volume is about agency and individual choice in the context of social institutions and cultural rules. There is another theme running through this book—the way in which globalization is subverting traditional hierarchies, altering identitie...
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Preface Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Physical Environment Chapter 3. Social Environment and Ethnohistory Chapter 4. Production Chapter 5. Protection Chapter 6. Reproduction Chapter 7. Conclusions Appendix. Additional Data on Bari... more
Preface Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Physical Environment Chapter 3. Social Environment and Ethnohistory Chapter 4. Production Chapter 5. Protection Chapter 6. Reproduction Chapter 7. Conclusions Appendix. Additional Data on Bari Horticulture Bibliography Index
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Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a feature of Bari protein foraging strategy that contradicts one of the central tenets of optimal foraging theory. The Bari are a group of tropical forest horticulturalists who live in the... more
Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a feature of Bari protein foraging strategy that contradicts one of the central tenets of optimal foraging theory. The Bari are a group of tropical forest horticulturalists who live in the southwestern most lobe of the Marcaibo basin. The tenet of optimal foraging theory of interest posits that a forager should exploit a resource when he cannot, on the average, get a better return for his time by exploiting some other resource(s). The chapter provides an overview of the Bari, focusing on subsistence activities. The hypotheses claim that the information gathered in hunting informs decisions as to where and when fishing should take place, in seasons when good fishing spots are rare. The hypotheses claim that hunting is not needed during the dry season good fishing months because rewarding fishing spots are abundant and there is no need to spend time seeking them out.
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The Waorani may have the highest rate of homicide of any society known to anthropology. We interviewed 121 Waorani elders of both sexes to obtain genealogical information and recollections of raids in which they and their relatives... more
The Waorani may have the highest rate of homicide of any society known to anthropology. We interviewed 121 Waorani elders of both sexes to obtain genealogical information and recollections of raids in which they and their relatives participated. We also obtained complete raiding histories of 95 warriors. An analysis of the raiding histories, marital trajectories, and reproductive histories of these men reveals that more aggressive warriors have lower indices of reproductive success than their milder brethren. This result contrasts the findings of Chagnon [Chagnon N (1988) Science 239:985–992] for the Yanomamo. We suggest that the spacing of revenge raids may be involved in the explanation of why the consequences of aggressiveness differ between these 2 warlike lowland South American peoples.
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The purpose here is a tentative formalization of the effect of chronic so-called primitive warfare (Turney-High I949, I98I) on the growth of the warring groups. Anthropologists tudying warfare from a variety of perspectives have suggested... more
The purpose here is a tentative formalization of the effect of chronic so-called primitive warfare (Turney-High I949, I98I) on the growth of the warring groups. Anthropologists tudying warfare from a variety of perspectives have suggested that it is population ...
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[The Editor welcomes short statements-normally from 300 to 1,000 words-of research results and conclusions. Such statements should not include detailed supporting data, but should make clear reference to the location of such data... more
[The Editor welcomes short statements-normally from 300 to 1,000 words-of research results and conclusions. Such statements should not include detailed supporting data, but should make clear reference to the location of such data (published and unpublished) so that ...
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The issue of food prohibitions on such Amazonian game animals as deer is examined from an ecological perspective, in contrast to previous symbolic or structuralist views on this subject. Examined in conjunction with settlement pattern,... more
The issue of food prohibitions on such Amazonian game animals as deer is examined from an ecological perspective, in contrast to previous symbolic or structuralist views on this subject. Examined in conjunction with settlement pattern, technology, animal behavior, ...
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Campbell's evolutionary explanation of women's typically lower rates of interpersonal aggression is plausible, but some supporting evidence requires scrutiny. Women may not commit less interpersonal violence than men against small... more
Campbell's evolutionary explanation of women's typically lower rates of interpersonal aggression is plausible, but some supporting evidence requires scrutiny. Women may not commit less interpersonal violence than men against small children. Women are more vulnerable than men in same-sex encounters. The link between dominance and reproductive success for males is less secure than was once thought.
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There are interesting parallelisms between McCullough et al.'s article and studies of revenge presented by French legal anthropologist Raymond Verdier, particularly as regards the discussion of the increasing likelihood of revenge... more
There are interesting parallelisms between McCullough et al.'s article and studies of revenge presented by French legal anthropologist Raymond Verdier, particularly as regards the discussion of the increasing likelihood of revenge with increasing social distance. Additionally, the observation that many peoples speak of revenge in the language of debt and repayment, links it with exchanges of benefits as well as costs.
Research Interests: Sociology, Cognitive Science, Medicine, Marriage, Humans, and 7 moreFemale, Male, Debt, Morals, Sexual Partners, Neurosciences, and Choice Behavior
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The root of modern human warfare lies in the lethal coalitionary violence of males in small-scale societies. However, there is a paucity of quantitative data concerning the form and function of coalitionary violence in this setting.... more
The root of modern human warfare lies in the lethal coalitionary violence of males in small-scale societies. However, there is a paucity of quantitative data concerning the form and function of coalitionary violence in this setting. Debates exist over how lethal coalitions are constituted, as well as the motivations and benefits for males to join such groups. Data from a lowland Amazonian population, the Waorani of Ecuador, illuminate three issues: (i) the degree to which raiding parties are composed of groups of fraternal kin as opposed to strategic alliances of actual or potential affinal kin; (ii) the extent to which individuals use pre-existing affinal ties to motivate others to participate in war or leverage warfare as a mechanism to create such ties; and (iii) the extent to which participation in raiding is driven by rewards associated with future marriage opportunities. Analyses demonstrate that Waorani raiding parties were composed of a mix of males who were potential affine...
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Research Interests: Archaeology, Anthropology, Amerindian Studies, Bolivian studies, Anthropology of locality, and 15 moreAmazonia, Bolivia, Anthropology of Kinship, Antropología cultural, Antropología Social, Anthropologie, Antropología, Ciencias Sociales, Amazonian Ethnology, Cross cultural studies, Anthropology of Lowland South America, Comparative method, Anthropological Theory, Anthropological Debates, and Antropologia
The root of modern human warfare lies in the lethal coalitionary violence of males in small-scale societies. However, there is a paucity of quantitative data concerning the form and function of coalitionary violence in this setting.... more
The root of modern human warfare lies in the lethal coalitionary violence of males in small-scale societies. However, there is a paucity of quantitative data concerning the form and function of coalitionary violence in this setting. Debates exist over how lethal coalitions are constituted, as well as the motivations and benefits for males to join such groups. Data from a lowland Amazonian population, the Waorani of Ecuador, illuminate three issues: (i) the degree to which raiding parties are composed of groups of fraternal kin as opposed to strategic alliances of actual or potential affinal kin; (ii) the extent to which individuals use pre-existing affinal ties to motivate others to participate in war or leverage warfare as a mechanism to create such ties; and (iii) the extent to which participation in raiding is driven by rewards associated with future marriage opportunities. Analyses demonstrate that Waorani raiding parties were composed of a mix of males who were potential affines, actual affines and fraternal kin, suggesting that men used pre-existing genetic, lineal and social kin ties for recruiting raid partners and used raiding as a venue to create novel social relationships. Furthermore, analyses demonstrate that males leveraged raiding alliances to achieve marriage opportunities for themselves as well as for their children. Overall, it appears that a complex set of motivations involving individual rewards, kin marriage opportunities, subtle coercion and the assessment of alliance strength promote violent intergroup conflict among the Waorani. These findings illustrate the complex interrelationships among kin selection, coalition building and mating success in our species.
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This paper is organized around three tasks: (a) to review the literature on the long- and short-term relationships between energy and the quality of life as measured by commonly used indicators such as health, economic well-being, crime... more
This paper is organized around three tasks: (a) to review the literature on the long- and short-term relationships between energy and the quality of life as measured by commonly used indicators such as health, economic well-being, crime and suicide statistics, and general satisfaction; (b) to discuss use of the term life-styles as a prelude to discussing the relation between energy,
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Abstract Results of recent ethnographic research in indigenous agricultural systems in the South American tropical forests indicate that the Geertzian model of the highly intercropped swidden that mimics the tropical forest it replaces is... more
Abstract Results of recent ethnographic research in indigenous agricultural systems in the South American tropical forests indicate that the Geertzian model of the highly intercropped swidden that mimics the tropical forest it replaces is not the appropriate description of the ...
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Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL +/- P) is of high prevalence in an isolated, inbred indigenous population of the Venezuelan rain forest: 12 contemporary probands are known in a population of 1200. CL +/- P is familial in this... more
Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL +/- P) is of high prevalence in an isolated, inbred indigenous population of the Venezuelan rain forest: 12 contemporary probands are known in a population of 1200. CL +/- P is familial in this population. One kindred contains four affected siblings and a total of eight probands. The mode of transmission of CL +/- P is under investigation through the collection and biological verification of genealogies and through screening for selected sequence-based polymorphisms. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were successfully applied to recover DNA from blood dried onto filter paper in the field. Eleven samples from probands and their first-degree relatives have been analyzed for DNA sequence-based polymorphisms for TGF-A and HOX7. No significant linkages for either locus were found. Evaluation of the distribution of probands in four genealogies indicates that CL +/- P could be transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait in this population. We believe this is the first report of this mode of transmission for nonsyndromic CL +/- P.
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Abstract The proposition that tropical forest swidden gardens mimic the extraordinary species diversity of the forest by the use of extensive intercropping is examined in the light of the field architecture of the Barí, a people of the... more
Abstract The proposition that tropical forest swidden gardens mimic the extraordinary species diversity of the forest by the use of extensive intercropping is examined in the light of the field architecture of the Barí, a people of the Maracaibo basin. Barí fields manifest ...
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Avertissement Le contenu de ce site relève de la législation française sur la propriété intellectuelle et est la propriété exclusive de l'éditeur. Les uvres figurant sur ce site peuvent être consultées et reproduites sur un... more
Avertissement Le contenu de ce site relève de la législation française sur la propriété intellectuelle et est la propriété exclusive de l'éditeur. Les uvres figurant sur ce site peuvent être consultées et reproduites sur un support papier ou numérique sous réserve qu'elles soient ...
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The ongoing human and ecological catastrophe which the Brazilian state is promot-ing in its Amazon regiona sort of national case of Lesch-Nyhan syndromehas attracted a great deal of attention in the popular as well as the scholarly... more
The ongoing human and ecological catastrophe which the Brazilian state is promot-ing in its Amazon regiona sort of national case of Lesch-Nyhan syndromehas attracted a great deal of attention in the popular as well as the scholarly press. Bunker's entry into an already ...
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Abstract The Bari of the Maracaibo basin obtain most of the meat in their diet by spearfishing, usually in stretches of river which they dam off before fishing them. As the number of men in a fishing party increases, the time to build a... more
Abstract The Bari of the Maracaibo basin obtain most of the meat in their diet by spearfishing, usually in stretches of river which they dam off before fishing them. As the number of men in a fishing party increases, the time to build a dam decreases in ...
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... 1 I am grateful to Stephen Beckerman, Roberta Campos, Steven Romanoff, Eric Ross, and Tom Moore for information cited in this note. I also gratefully acknowledge their help and that of many other anthropologists in guiding me to... more
... 1 I am grateful to Stephen Beckerman, Roberta Campos, Steven Romanoff, Eric Ross, and Tom Moore for information cited in this note. I also gratefully acknowledge their help and that of many other anthropologists in guiding me to appropriate references. ...
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Research. All rights reserved OOII-3204/95/3603-0009$ I. oo. Fieldwork was supported by The Pennsylvania State University (Institute for the Arts and Humanistic Studies, College of Liberal Arts, and Anthropology Department), the... more
Research. All rights reserved OOII-3204/95/3603-0009$ I. oo. Fieldwork was supported by The Pennsylvania State University (Institute for the Arts and Humanistic Studies, College of Liberal Arts, and Anthropology Department), the Wenner-Gren Foundation, the Vanguard ...
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Page 1. Reports of Ongotan by other historical linguists. Furthermore, Beja is suspected by some linguists (Ruhlen 1991) to be The Afroasiatic Language also separate from Cushitic. The five families of Afro-Phylum: African in Origin, ...
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RESULTS A linear regression of the population means against the lengths of shoreline was run using the packaged statistical programme STATPACK. The regression equation obtained was: Population?(222)(Shoreline)? 11063. The correlation... more
RESULTS A linear regression of the population means against the lengths of shoreline was run using the packaged statistical programme STATPACK. The regression equation obtained was: Population?(222)(Shoreline)? 11063. The correlation coefficient of the ...
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ABSTRACT Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of New Mexico. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 392-402).
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In his study of the Peruvian village of Nunoa, Baker (1969) reports" the sex ratio was highly unusual in that there was a large number of excess males." Specifically, for a sample of 608 children born to... more
In his study of the Peruvian village of Nunoa, Baker (1969) reports" the sex ratio was highly unusual in that there was a large number of excess males." Specifically, for a sample of 608 children born to 136 women, he records a sex ratio of 124. In this note I want to call the ...